The Rise of CliffsNotes Cinema
Oversimplified literary remakes miss the point of the works they are adapting.
Culture
Why Justin Bieber Played YouTube Onstage for Thousands of People
The pop star transformed the normal act of browsing your laptop into something interesting—and unsettling.
The New Age of Performance Anxiety
With the rise of screen culture, all the world has stage fright.
Where Did ‘Let Them’ Come From?
Years before Mel Robbins published her best-selling self-help book, a struggling writer posted a poem with a similar message.
Comedy’s Most Erudite Buffoon
Conan O’Brien has built a comedy career on committing to his own, dissonant bit.
The Severance Twist I Can’t Forgive
The Season 2 finale emphasized the show’s most philosophical queries, but one element was hard to swallow.
A Rapper for the Ketamine Era
Playboi Carti sounds like he isn’t saying much. But there’s a story to his music.
The Supply Closet That Film Geeks Love
A trip to the Criterion Closet is a dream for directors, actors, and their cinephile fans.
Searching for the Democratic Bully
Andrew Cuomo is resurgent, and Rahm Emanuel is considering a presidential run. Are these the tough guys Democrats need?
How to Make an Instantly Forgettable, Very Expensive Movie
The Russo brothers’ Avengers films took hold of popular culture, but the directors have yet to repeat that kind of success.
What Impossibly Wealthy Women Do for Love and Fulfillment
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, embraces old-fashioned domesticity on her new lifestyle series.
Dear James: I Miss Being on Dating Apps
I’ve hit the relationship jackpot. But now I have romance FOMO.
The Life of the Mind Can Only Get You So Far
Michelle de Kretser’s intellectual coming-of-age explores the fissures between one’s ideals and reality.
Why Aren’t Women Allowed to Play Baseball?
Women have always loved America’s pastime. It has never loved them back.